Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 354.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
354.28 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
33rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
358.57 people per sq. km of land area
in 2022
All-time low
157.86 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Sri Lanka, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 354.28 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Sri Lanka peaked at 358.57 people per sq. km of land area in 2022 and was at its lowest, 157.86 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Sri Lanka ranks 33rd of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 157.86 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 161.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 165.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 169.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 174.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 178.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 182.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 187.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 191.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 195.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 200.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 204.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 208.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 212.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 216.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 220.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 224.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 228.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 232.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 236.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 240.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 243.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 245.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 246.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 247.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 250.86 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 253.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 256.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 259.11 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 260.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 262.72 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 266.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 271.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 275.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 280.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 285.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 290.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 296.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 302.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 307.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 312.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 315.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 318.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 320.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 322.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 324.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 326.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 328.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 330.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 332.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 335.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 337.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 328.26 people per sq. km of land area | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 331.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 338.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 342.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 346.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 350.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 352.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 354.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 358.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 358.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 356.24 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 354.28 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 354.28 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 4.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 354.28 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for South Asia, which is 421.14 people per sq. km of land area, 84% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 174.35 people per sq. km of land area | 157.86 people per sq. km of land area | 191.58 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 214.16 people per sq. km of land area | 195.94 people per sq. km of land area | 232.49 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 248.1 people per sq. km of land area | 236.77 people per sq. km of land area | 259.11 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 279.26 people per sq. km of land area | 260.76 people per sq. km of land area | 302.1 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 320.82 people per sq. km of land area | 307.65 people per sq. km of land area | 330.99 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 339.59 people per sq. km of land area | 328.26 people per sq. km of land area | 352.43 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 356.32 people per sq. km of land area | 354.28 people per sq. km of land area | 358.57 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 30 Philippines 388.52 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 31 Tuvalu 371 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 32 Puerto Rico 361.05 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 34 Curacao 351.28 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 35 Grenada 340.72 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 36 Japan 340.12 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Sri Lanka
- Population in the largest city 14.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 647,557 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.2 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 87.19 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 45.5% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 1.29 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Sri Lanka?
- Population density in Sri Lanka was 354.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 358.57 people per sq. km of land area in 2022.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 157.86 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for population density?
- Sri Lanka ranks 33rd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.